US marines struggle to care for civilians stranded in Fallujah

[maddezmom]

SO THERE ARE CIVILIANS IN FALLUJAH???? :eyes:

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Trained for combat, US marines are finding themselves struggling to fill a different role as caregivers to Iraqi families caught between US-led forces and fugitive insurgents in the ruins of Fallujah.


A week after the launch of a ferocious assault on the city, men and women are still hiding out there, in building whose facades have been shredded by air strikes and artillery or gutted by fire.


Marine civil affairs teams have yet to get out to the residents stranded in the heart of Fallujah, where scattered corpses and scorched buildings have cast an apocalyptic pall over the city.


"If they stopped shooting, we could get in there," said Captain PJ Batty.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=11&u=/afp/20041117/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_fallujah_marines_041117143324

[htuttle]

1. I saw some of that 'care' on television the other day

Perhaps it would be best if they didn't.

[maddezmom]

2. the US Military didn't plan for civilians??? another no-plan plan in place

We didn't expect to encounter many civilians. We had procedures in place. (But) it was a matter of putting all the pieces together because we didnt encounter civilians for three days," McNulty said.


The first large group of families Kilo company stumbled onto in the northwestern Jolan district were huddled in a palace-like villa the marines had seized on Friday.


A sergeant told tired men, women and children they could stay in the home for a night and would then have to leave. But the marines changed their minds and said people could stay there as long as they wanted.


"We don't have the assets to get them out of the city," said Staff Sergeant Jamal Bowers.

[leftchick]

3. of course they did not expect to encounter civilians....

wtf were all of those 500 lb bombs for?

[maddezmom]

4. and they are still in there today blasting the crap out of it

[displacedtexan]

5. I can hear it now...

Hey, George! We'd better get some Good News out about the troops! Can't have the sheeple worrying about shooting the wounded more than a couple of news cycles!

[maddezmom]

6. not good news, they didn't have a plan

"We don't have the assets to get them out of the city," said Staff Sergeant Jamal Bowers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

wonder why?? thought they'd all be dead in the bombings???

[madrchsod]

7. meanwhile the red cresent

convoy is still waiting to go in...to dangerous-they may take pictures and count the bodies.

[maddezmom]

8. as Iraqi's remove corpses

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=995089&mesg_id=995089

[maddezmom]

9. DU Link: no need for aid, marines say

The US military says it sees no need for the Iraqi Red Crescent to deliver aid to people inside Fallujah, and does not think any Iraqi civilians are trapped inside the city.

"There is no need to bring (Red Crescent) supplies in because we have supplies of our own for the people," said US Marine Colonel Mike Shupp.

"Now that the bridge (into Fallujah) is open I will bring out casualties and all aid work can be done here (at Fallujah's hospital)."

He said he had not heard of any Iraqi civilians being trapped inside the city and did not think that was the case.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=989728

[daleo]

10. More Viet Nam similarities

Bomb them one day, and give away chocolate the next.

[Voltaire99]

11. "Dogs Eating Bodies on the Streets of Fallujah"

Here's a little measure of how they "struggle to care":

http://www.antiwar.com/jamail/?articleid=3984